On Thursday morning, after nearly 10 hours in the elevator, the miners were successfully brought to the surface, the Ithaca Fire Department said.

"At 8:30 am, the last of 17 miners were rescued from a shaft 800 feet down at the Cargill salt mine," they wrote on Facebook. "This brought to an end a rescue that lasted 10 hours, in frigid temperatures that brought over 15 agencies together to bring the men up safely."

The post added: "A positive outcome to one of the most difficult rescues in recent memory!"